Apple should be arrested for daylight robbery [MERGED]

[Altis]

Margins remain about the same as they have for the past decade.

You are entitled to your opinion about giving "less for more", but the health of Apple as a company shows you are in the extreme minority.

No doubt some extra margins going on in here:

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/01/apple-no-unit-sales-data-earnings/

Apple is perhaps making this change because its unit sales are decreasing while revenue is growing due to rising ASPs.

I've always said the future of Mac is iPad so I'm not bothered about neglecting a product line that has a limited life left in it.

The iPad is different enough it will likely live on as a separate device unless they radically change it. I can count on one hand the number of times I see an iPad on campus in an entire semester, and have not seen one once in any of the classes I've been in.

Between the ergonomics of the device and the limitations of iOS, Mac will be around a good while, getting things done.

 

[Perene]

Lol. They don't make the very best products they can at all. They build devices with the smallest incremental improvements they can possibly manage whilst still charging as much as they can possibly get away with.

That's right on the spot. Even reviewers admit that.

This scam will not last forever now they increased all prices more than ever before

 

[macfacts]

Apple's margins have barely changed despite the higher prices. This proves they genuinely are building truly innovative products with cutting-edge technologies that push costs higher.
...

Their magins are small cause theyre spending more on r&d with no results. No apple tv, no apple car.

 

[skaertus]

Apple's margins have barely changed despite the higher prices. This proves they genuinely are building truly innovative products with cutting-edge technologies that push costs higher.

I understand some people are happy for lesser products at lower prices, but this isn't what Apple does. Apple always makes the very best products they possibly can. If we want the best products, we all have to accept we'll have to pay a modest amount more.

Apple is spending more on R&D than it did in the last few years. However, this should be expected, as Apple has been spending far less in R&D than other comparable tech companies. Apple's spending in R&D last year was lower than Microsoft, Google, Intel, or Amazon. So, these prices do not necessarily reflect Apple's willingness to spend on researching and developing new products.

 

[jagolden]

S.hit, this is worse than I thought. Even the SK will not work with these new iPADs.

In 2017 I spent:

- US$ 34.99 in the Lightning Male to USB Type-C Male Cable (6.6' / 2 m)
- US$ 49 in the 29W USB Type-C Power Adapter
- US$ 149.99 in the Smart Keyboard for the 10.5 IPP
- US$ 829 in the IPP 10.5 (256 GB, wifi+cell)
- Not to mention the old Apple Pencil
- The Smart Cover
- A Khomo rear case

And now I am supposed to:

- Sell every single thing and hope that some suck... ops, buyer compensate for my inevitable losses, since it will be impossible to sell all items for the same price I paid a year ago.

Then I'll have to spend a lot more buying all the new things, even if I want the same capacity (256 GB). The 256 GB LTE (IPP 11) is 32% more expensive.

This isn't just about the iPAD, I would have to replace every single item from that list. 😡

Which I would consider doing if the prices were the same. And if the improvements were worth paying more.

Is there someone really in doubt Apple will fail and fail tremendously with this scam?

I'll only say this: truth is the daughter of time. We'll see who's going to take the hit in the end.

Must you buy the latest and greatest every time a new one comes out? No one is forcing anyone to purchase the new models. If you have all that nice, relatively new, 2017 equipment, there’s zero reason to feel you have to buy the 2018 version. If it was fine before, it’s fine now for another two years at least.
[doublepost=1541506525][/doublepost]

Clearly. So you dont like your electric company's pricing. Go buy something else! Not exactly so possible when you hold the monopoly.

What are your realistic other tablet mobile OS (not Windows) choices exactly? A crap Kindle Fire or Galaxy Tab S4?

Sure, about the same alternatives as buying a Generac generator to try to power your house full time to avoid the electric company.

How about demanding companies NOT rip their customers off and increase prices "just because"

Or is the proposition here to just keep taking it sans lube again next year when prices go up another 25% to $999/1250 base price "just because" and the Apple defenders come to bat again?

Funny. We actually can choose who we get our electricity from. Not such a good comparison.

Monopoly? Must it be a mobile OS? Looks like plenty of viable Windows alternatives out there.

Do you demand car manufacturers not rip off their customers with higher prices for minor upgrades "just because"?

I"m not a fan of their rising prices but if that’s what I want, that’s what I have to pay. Not defending them, but it is their company and they can do what they want, right or wrong. Will it hurt them in the short and long run - probably, and they’ll end up having to rethink their pricing strategies, especially when you compare the closed iOS to an open, full OS.

 

[RubiksC#be]

“If you were going to use this iPad as a computer you’re getting the big one”? What? Not for me. I had a 12.9 but decided to downsize to a 10.5 and it’s my laptop replacement without fail.

It's a tablet that runs iOS and cannot replace a laptop.

 

[Ghost31]

It's a tablet that runs iOS and cannot replace a laptop.

What you said literally means nothing

 

[maflynn]

Apple are trying to rob me

Apple is free to set the price for their products, just as you are free not to buy it. They are not stealing or doing anything illegal. I understand that people are upset over the price hike but the only way that will change, is people stop buying their products. There's a reason why apple decided to stop reporting unit sales in it's financial forms, they're making more money per unit even though unit sales for many of the products are stagnate

It's a tablet that runs iOS and cannot replace a laptop.

Actually you're wrong. For many people the iPad works well as a laptop replacement. There's a stuck thread where there's a lot of people who have successfully gave up their laptop. One size does not fit all, and just because it won't work for you means it won't work for everyone.

 

[jagolden]

It's a tablet that runs iOS and cannot replace a laptop.

In most cases it can replace a laptop. It IS NOT a perfect laptop replacement, but for me I can run the majority of the important apps, or equivalents on mine. Except for iTunes and Audio Hijack Pro, I Brarely use my desktop or laptop any longer. I’ll only update the desktop when absolutely necessary, same with the laptop.
Unfortunately the rather closed iOS keeps it from being the perfect laptop replacement.
I chuckle when I see people buying one of the large iPads, a keyboard or keyboard cover, and an Apple Pencil. May as well have just bought one of the other laptop offerings since you’re going to be carrying around and then setting up all that stuff. Only problem Is Apple doesn’t make a pressure sensitive laptop "yet". Even for long stints, I have no problem typing with the on-screen IPad 12.9" keyboard. Even when I used the mini I typed many a long missive on it with no problems,
The pencil is incredibly handy, though. Even just as a stylus on the phone the fine tip is better than your finger or a fat ended stylus for some of the finer adjustments.

 

[Perene]

Must you buy the latest and greatest every time a new one comes out? No one is forcing anyone to purchase the new models. If you have all that nice, relatively new, 2017 equipment, there’s zero reason to feel you have to buy the 2018 version. If it was fine before, it’s fine now for another two years at least.

Actually I never buy anything to replace in a couple of years. Whatever I buy I take good care and want to last many years, if possible forever.

I was only making a point that if I were to replace all the last year purchased items this would be impossible in terms of how costly it would be.

I could, however, implement this idea in the past, now this is impossible thanks to these price hikes. And knowing Apple as I do this will never happen because they never reduce any of their prices. NEVER.

Anyway, I found an interesting comment in The Verge review YT page, that is worth commenting:

Key statement: "I can't use it the way I want."

Apple is very intentional about not designing their products to be used however you want. They design them to used in the specific way they want you to use them. This is obviously to get users locked into their ecosystem. And loyal, long-time Apple users who have bought into this ecosystem are not rewarded with options to work with these products in the ways that best suit our personal preferences and needs. Instead, we're punished by the company continually putting more boundaries around what we can and can't do, how we are and are not allowed to work. And because we've become comfortable in this ecosystem and even dependent on it, we give in and adapt to the products. They do not and will never adapt to us.

I always noticed that, yet when I handled a 12-year old iPOD:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cant-do-a-backup-or-add-files-to-old-ipod.2151347/

Even with iTunes I wasn't able to backup all the data. I was also not able to add more songs (at least without erasing all previous data, iTunes said it needed to sync).

Then I found a (paid) software (for PC) that backup all files stored in this iPOD. Later I used iTunes to: a) restore to factory settings and b) add the previous + new files.

That made me thinking: is it really worth paying so much money when Apple restricts everything these devices could do to make them great, and there are similar alternatives that at least for my intended use are cheaper or at a similar price?

What we need is to put each device side by side (e.g.: the Galaxy Tab S4 vs. the IPP 10.5) and list what each one can offer, and what are the downsides that would justify buying the other instead. If in the end the iPAD wins this "contest" for scoring more points (at least FOR YOU) then you'll know you made the right decision to stick with Apple.